Coming Soon!

 Hurry up, Springtime!  I cannot wait for warmer days.  I have so much work to be done -- all this snow and ice is slowing me down.  These past couple of weeks I have started gearing up for Spring and now I just want to get started.  Anyway, here is a peek at things to come...

This week I went to Uncle Dave and Aunt Mary's house (our prior landlords) to place my order for chickens.  I could have picked some chicks up at the Tractor Supply Store, but I wanted a few specific breeds.  Dave is ordering his a bit later than normal this year so he doesn't have to spend so much time and energy keeping them warm.  I'm getting 6 chickens total -- 1 each of the following: Barred Plymouth Rock, Araucana, Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red.  Sounds a motley crew, doesn't it?  Anyway, I'm acquiring everything I need for their brooder box to get them started.

I've also ordered my seeds for the garden and received most of them already.  I've got more seeds than I have room for in my two little raised beds, so I'm going to have to expand this year.  That means a lot of work -- but what's new.  I've also purchased a bunch of fruit plants and a few hazelnut bushes as well.  We are going to cut down a bunch of box elder trees in the back and clear out a nice area for the mini-orchard.  While we are at it, I think we are going to finally tear down that cute little red shed in the back. With the roof caving in, it really isn't worth fixing up -- so down it must come.  Work, work, work!  I want to get started now!

I'm hoping to have some great adventures this summer once all the work is under control.  Charlie and I intend to do some more fishing this year.  We didn't even go fishing once last summer -- that is just sad.  I'd like to travel to some new places this year as well.

Mama kitty also has some big plans in store for the warm weather.  She is pregnant again and getting fatter by the day.  I'll have to figure out a new shelter for her if we end up tearing down the shed.  Perhaps I could find an old dog house somewhere.
Today I re-filled the bird feeders and have a bunch of happy visitors.  We also had some deer in the yard and I heard a few gobbles from the wild turkeys.  Things are coming to life around here.  Stay tuned for the show!

After the storm

Belated Winter Storm

Yesterday was the first day of Spring.  The weather had been getting nicer day by day.  Until today.  

We are getting a "winter storm" as I write this.  We got some very wet, heavy snow earlier.  We are supposed to get a bunch of ice as well.  It's gonna be an extra-early morning for me to make sure I get to work on time.

While taking photos, I had to take shelter under one of our pine trees.  

It wasn't snowing.  It was snow-balling.  Big clumps of wet snow.  

I truly hope some Spring weather starts soon.

I've had enough of this stuff.  (But it sure is pretty!)

Free and Easy Mini Greenhouses

Forget those expensive plastic mini greenhouses you can find in stores right now to start up the seeds for your garden!  I've saved a couple of plastic clamshell containers from when we buy baked goods or produce packaged in them.  I added a little bit of seed starting mix and saturated it with water.  Plant some seeds and loosely close the lid. 

Add sunlight (for warmth) and wait...

And magically your seeds are started.  This photo is of leaf lettuce (among other things).  We'll see how things progress with them.  These greenhouses work well for growing your own micro-greens in the winter as well.
I am getting excited for the gardening season to start this year.  I've ordered all sorts of new seeds and plants to try this year.  I always have such big plans at the beginning of the season -- but usually run out of time and energy by the end of the season.  I plan to use newspaper and cardboard to mulch the veggie garden and hopefully keep the weeds down.
I am also going to be ordering some chicks within the next few weeks (with Uncle Dave because the hatchery requires a large order and I only want 5 or 6).  I can't wait!  I have to set up a brooder box and buy some supplies from Tractor Supply.  I'm nervous about going there -- I'm afraid I may end up coming home with some rabbits too.  I'm praying for strength to resist them.

Is winter over yet?

Ok, I don't know about anyone else, but I am done with winter.  It can stop at any time now.  

Perhaps I am just grumpy today.  I've been sick for about 2 weeks now and am tired of being exhausted all the time.  I have a long week ahead of me at work too, but it should be a good one.  

I've been training a batch of new employees and will be doing that for another month.  It is a great opportunity and I am happy they picked me to do it.  For those that don't know, I work in a call center for a major natural gas and electric provider in Michigan.  The company is great and the pay and benefits are hard to beat.  I've been in the call center for over 5 years now and am looking into opportunities to advance in the company.  This temporary training position can only help me in the long run.  

So, I've been trying to do the best job possible in this training position, but it hasn't been easy while sick. And the winter weather isn't helping.  My normal commute is 45 minutes to work each day, but the training job is even further away.  Now I drive 3 hours a day getting back and forth to work - but slippery, snowy roads increased that to 5 hours a few days last week.  Yuck!

Anyway, I do see an end in sight.  March is almost here and our high temperatures are in the mid 30s lately.  I thought I would post a cheery photo of cut flowers to make today a bit brighter.

Wine making - cleared and complete

So, my wine has been sitting in it's gallon jar for quite a while now, doing it's magic.  It is finally done!
But, I need to back up a second here.  This photograph was shot a couple of weeks ago.  What you are seeing here is a layer of sediment that has settled to the bottom of the jar.  The wine has to be syphoned off into a clean jar and the sediment gets left behind.
I've syphoned it a couple of times since this photo, and the wine is nice and clear now.  Potassium sorbate (also available at the brewing supply store or on-line) can be used to make sure that fermentation is stopped.  After that, you can sweeten the wine by adding sugar.  Mine is sweet enough for me -- and I usually prefer semi-sweet wines.  I'd like to have some of my wine loving friends taste it and see what they think.
I really enjoyed trying my hand at wine making.  I have about $100 invested into the whole thing and I have 4 bottles of wine and enough supplies left over to make many more batches.   Hmm... what kind of wine should I make next?

My favorite things 2

I love my South-facing windows in my kitchen and dining room.  When the sun is shining, the whole room heats up enough to make the furnace stop running for the entire day.  Especially on these nice 40 degree days we've been having.